Machine for adhesively securing sheet material

ABSTRACT

A machine for preparing flexible sheet material to be assembled and stiffened. The invention is more especially concerned with providing mechanism for cyclically assembling and stiffening selected portions of footwear, for instance a precoated toe portion of a vamp and a lining. The machine includes in novel combination a particle dispensing means, ply-combining mechanism, and pressure conforming means. A dispensing device distributes granular reinforcing material to the coating of adhesive on an activated formable sheet material, particles of the reinforced material being retained in a thickness pattern conducive to sequential pressure-forming of the assembly, and then recirculates unused granules.

Unite States Patent 11 1 [in 3,852,840 Newton 1451 Dec. 10,1974

[ MACHINE FOR ADHESIVELY SECURING [75] Inventor: Eugene Newton, Beverly, A white; Richard B Megley [73] Assignee: USM Corporation, Boston, Mass. [57] AESTRACT [22] Filed: Feb. 7 1974 A machine for preparing flexible sheet material to be assembled and stifi'ened. The invention is more espe- PP NOJ 440,288 cially concerned with providing mechanism for cyclivv cally assembling and stiffening selected portions of 52] US. Cl. 12/61 A, 118/267 fwtwear, for instance a Preated we Pomon Of a 51 1111. C1 A43d 7/00, B050 11/00 vamp and a lining- The a includes in [58] Field of Search 12/61 A, 61 R, 52, 146 1); combmatlon Particle dispensing P y- 118/264 combining mechanism, and pressure conforming I means. A dispensing device distributes granular rein- [56] 1 References Cited forcing material vto the coating of adhesive on an acti- T STATES PATENTS vated formable sheet material, particles of the reinforced material being retained in a thickness pattern 1,715,299 5/1929 MacDonald 12/61 R conducive to Sequential pressure foming of the 5} 2: 52: sembly, and then recirculates unused granules. 613,151 11/1971 Becker 12/146 D 6 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures J4 O 1 *1 a '1 g \BI y 42 SHEET MATERIAL Primary Examiner-Patrick D. Lawson Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Carl E. Johnson; Vincent PATENIEU man I 0:914 I sum 1 or 3 PAIENIED DEC] 01974 smn ear 5 CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION U.S. Application Ser. No. 399,464 filed Sept. 20, 1973 in the name of A. E. Newton pertains to a method of stiffening sheet material for instance a shoe component. The method comprises the steps of coating a first sheet with synthetic polymeric material hardenable to stiff, resilient condition, applying relative hard granular material to the coating while it is still in soft adhesive condition, and then pressing the first sheet against a second sheet with the coating and granules between the sheets so as to embed the granules in the coating, subsequent cooling, enabling the granules to be locked in to serve as a reinforcing stiffening means.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to mechanism for practicing the method of the above-cited application .of Newton, especially as regards the stiffening of portions of footwear, such as the toe portions of mens shoes. The invention also pertains to an improved machine for assembling and stiffening flexible sheet material, notably the multi-ply toe portions of shoes by cyclically and uniformly loading a molten coating of successive plies with reinforcing granules in a thickness pattern insuring an economical, resilient configuration conducive to good lasting and uniformly resistant to deformation.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,277,867 issued Oct. 11, 1966 in the name of C. O. Kilham et a], discloses a machine which has been widely and favorably accepted in the shoe industry for applying viscousmolten thermoplastic stiffening material as an adherent layer, particularly to the vamp portion of a shoe. A method of threedimensionally conforming the coated sheet material by applying pressure is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,316,573 issued May 2, 1967 in the names of Chaplick et al. The latter method may be modified, especially for creating added stiffness or resistance to breadkown by means such as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,618,151, issued Nov. 9, 1971, in the name of K. V. Becker, wherein an open fabric laid upon the area to be stiffened receives hot molten synthetic polymeric material that is allowed into wetting engagement with the selected'area, and conforming pressure is subsequently applied to shape the shoe portion.

The method disclosed in the above-cited Newton application requires that portion of the ply coated with synthetic polymeric molten material to receive thereon a layer of hard reinforcing granules of uncured, heatsoftenable resin. Preferably the granules are of a mesh size of about 16-20 or roughly one-half the major thickness of the coating, which normally is approximately 0.050 inches. It has been observed that when using the Newton method for stiffening the toe portions of shoes to be lasted, the lasting is facilitated, and substantially uniform resistance to compressive deformation of the lasted toe portion is attained when the thickness pattern of the applied granules and the adhesivecoating is substantially symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal axis and gradually tapers toward an uncoated outer margin of. the upper. The present invention provides a machine for recirculating the granules from a supply and dispensing them in successive measured charges appropriately distributed by gravity to the adhesively coated portion of the upper, the thickness and character of the adhesive, especially its cooling rate, being relied on adequately to retain the particles in properthick-ness pattern. The non-retained and unused granules are recirculated so that none is wasted,

and the prepared toe portion is ready to receive a press ing member for conforming the assembled plies. Dispensers of powder and/or granular material of widely different construction are, of course, known, but none is known to be available and adaptable .to effective useage in the manner indicated.

It will be understood that application of the invention is not restricted to the making of footwear.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the foregoing, it is a general object of this 'for cyclically conforming adhesively precoated sheet material of a multi-ply assembly, an improved granule dispensing mechanism for distributing granular material to the locality of operation'of the pressure means.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine for combining the lining of a vamp with a precoated upper to produce a shaped shoe component uniformly resistant to compressive deformation.

As herein illustrated, a machine comprises a granule dispensing mechanism for distributing reinforcing granules to the precoated adhesive portion of a first ply such as the vamp of a shoe, means for combining a second ply such as a lining in superposed relation to the first ply and its deposited granules, and a conforming mechanism sequentially operative to secure the plies together. The illustrative machine preferably includes a support for initially holding work pieces to be assembled, such as a vamp with its precoated portion exposed and an associated fabric lining, a dispenser arranged to recirculate from a supply, the reinforcing granules to be deposited on the coated portion, a ply-combining mechanism operable to superimpose the lining on the deposited granules, and a reciprocable conformer for securing and shaping the assembled plies on the support.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other features of the invention will now be more particularly described in connection with an illustrative machine forpreparing and securing together shoe components to be stiffened, and with reference to the accompanying drawings thereof, in which:

FIG. I is a view in side elevation of a machine for assembling toe portions of shoes to be stiffened, portions of the controls being omitted, and a granule dispenser device being shown in section;

FIG. 2 is substantially a plan view of an associated vamp and lining, a toe portion of the vamp being adhesively coated with a printed on layer of tacky adhesive and ready for mounting in the machine as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view taken on the line III-Ill of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view in front elevation of the machine shown in FIG. 1, a portion of the dispenser being broken away to reveal its emptied buckets or scoops;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail showing several of the scoops at their roughly 6 am. re-filling positions;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but showing the refilled scoops in 7 8 a.m. positions;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIGS. 5 and 6 but showing the scoops at about 11 a.m. positions wherein they commence charging operation;

FIG. 8 is a view taken in side elevation of a portion of the machine shown in FIG. 1 but in a subsequent stage in a cycle of operations wherein a charge of granules is being or has been applied to a vamp, and a combining mechanism is starting to superimpose the vamp lining on the vamp and granules;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the vamp and the associated lining to be super-imposed, the adhesive layer on the toe portion being shown by stipling and the smaller central area retaining deposited granules indicated by small circles.

FIG. 10 is a view similar to a portion of FIG. 8 but at the subsequent stage in a cycle of operations in the superimposed lining and upper there being pressed together by a reciprocal former;

FIGS. 11 and 12 respectively show atransverse section of one half of the toe portion of an assembled vamp, and a substantially plan view of the generally flat vamp assembly produced by the machine.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The illustrative machine generally designated 14in FIGS. 1 and 4 comprises a base 16 fixedly supporting a frame 18 including spaced parallel upstanding plates 20. The plates 20 are formed with similar semi-circular recesses 22 on their respective upper sides and fitted with four parallel spanning bearing-rollers 24 semicircularly disposed to rotatably support, as by frictional contact a wheel-like granule dispenser generally desig nated 26 and later to be more fully described. The machine 14 also comprises as will subsequently be explained a lining combining means generally designated 28 operative in time relation to the granule dispensing means 26, and a sequentially operative pressure conforming mechanism generally-designated 30. A center portion of the frame 18 is formed to receive beneath the dispenser 26 a container 32 for holding a supply of resin reinforcing granules G to be applied to selected portions of work-pieces such as the toe portions of vamps V (FIGS. 2,3,4, 10 & 12) which are to be stiffened after being combined with their associated lining L.

It will be understood that the selected portion of one of the plies (for instance a vamp) to be assembled and stiffened will have previously been coated with a thermoplastic adhesive layer A (FIGS. 2,3, & 12), for example by operation of a machine such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,528,870, issued Sept. 15, 1970 in the name of H. C. PaulsenJThe adhesive layer A generally tapers from a thicker central portion as indicated in FIGS. 2 & 3. While the applied layer A on the inner side is at least semi-molten and tacky, the vamp V and its assoicated but uncombined lining L (which may be folded back as shown in FIGS. 1 & 2) are placed in the machine 14 in position to be further processed. For this purpose, there is secured to the frame 18 by bolts 34,34

an inclined bed 36 (FIGS. 1,4,8 & 10) for receiving the vamp with the layer A upper-most. The dispenser 26 operates as will next be explained to apply the granules shown in substantially uniform manner to a central area of the layer A as indicated in FIGS. 9 & l1.'

Referring to FIG. 4, the wheel-like dispenser 26 is rotated clockwise upon the rollers 24 by any suitable means (none shown). For example, one or more of the rollers 24 may be connected for frictionally driving the dispenser by contact with its outer periphery. Since only about a half revolution of the dispenser is required to assure delivery to successive vamps V of an ample quantity of the granular resin G, a treadle-operated mechanism (not shown) may be employed periodically for instance, by an operator to prepare the toe portions of the successive vamps to be stiffened. The perimeter of the dispenser carries a plurality of spaced parallel I 7 with a leading flat surface 39 and a radially inner pocket 40. As shown in FIGS. 6 & 7, the fully loaded scoop pockets are over-flowing until passing about the nine oclock position, the excess being allowed to drop into the container 32 for recirculation; thereafter, approximately between the eleven oclock and two oclock positions, a series of successive loaded pockets 40 discharge and spread a quantity of granules G, as shown in FIG. 4, into a pivotal hopper 42 (FIGS. 1 & 4). The latter carried on one end of a lever 44 fulcrumed on a pair of coaxial pivots 46,46 fixed in a bracket 48. The bracket 48 is adjustably' mounted heightwise' on a support 50 projecting from the frame 18.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 & 4, the hopper 42 in horizontal loading position receives a charge of granules G until the influence of a counterbalance 52 (FIG. 1), adjustably secured on the lever 44 is overcome whereupon the hopper descends and tilts clock-wise under the influence of gravity to its discharge position shown in dash lines in FIGS. 1 & 8. In going to this lower position, the hopper passes longitudinally over the layer A of the vamp V depositing the granules G. In a manner conducive to subsequent good lasting of a shoe and with the added benefit of economy in useage of the resin granules, their un-needed and unwanted excess fall back into the container 32 but a substantially uniform retention and distribution of granules is attained on the adhesive layer A. This is to say that the thicker and tackier central portion of the pre-coated printed on adhesive tends to cool more slowly than the more marginal areas and hence more granules G are generally automatically retained on the more central area of the layer A; considerably fewer granules G are retained on the marginal area of the layer A,and very few, if any, are retained on the exposed vamp V itself. The thickness pattern of the resulting granule distribution is found not only to be economical, but advantageously the resilient resistance to compressive break-down of the toe-portion of a shoe having its vamp thus reinforced, when combined with its lining L and lasted, is generally uniform and considerable. It will be understood that the emptied hopper 42 automatically returns counter-clockwise upwardly to its full-line position shown in FIG. 1 in order to be re-loaded.

Preferably the illustrative machine includes an auto matic control curcuit portions of which will be hereinafter referred to as description of a typical cycle of op erations proceeds, but it will be appreciated that the control means and other structural details may difier without departingfrom the scope of this invention. As regards one possible control system, for example, the descent of the hopper 42 for unloading may be timed to occur following the emptying of each of two series of scoops 38 disposed about 180 apart on the dispensing wheel. Thus, upon energization of a solenoidretractable plunger 54, (FIGS. 1 & 4) engageable with the under side of the lever 44, the hopper is released to descend, and after the return pivoting of the lever 44, the plunger 54 projects to hold the hopper raised during re-loading.

Next, when a time-delay mechanism (not shown) has run out following distribution of the granules G to the adhesive layer A, a valve (not shown) controlling admission of pressure fluid via an inlet 56 in an upper end of a double-acting cylinder 58 (FIGS. 1 & 4) is opened tocause a piston rod 60 and a connected reciprocable lining carrier 62 to retract from its extended initial position shown in FIG. 1 to its dash line position. The cylinder 58 is secured to the bed 56 as by a bracket 64. The lining carrier 62 slideably receives a guide rod 66 (FIG. 1) extending from the bracket 64 afixed to the frame 18. Projecting from an upper portion of the car- .rier 62 is a pair of spaced pins or rollers 70,72 between which the folded-back lining L is initially received. The height-wise position of the roller 70 is such that during carrier retraction the lining will be wiped toe-ward from the position shown in FIG. 9 and over the vamp V, the roller 70 progressively urging the lining to be outspread over the deposited granules G and the adhesive coating A.

At the end of the lining combining stroke, a limit switch 74 (FIGS-l & 4) secured to the bracket 64 is actuated by engagement therewith of the carrier 62 to cause its return stroke by the pistoncylinder 60,58 from the dash position in FIG. 1 to its full line position. The actuated switch 74, after suitable time delay, also signals for the admission of pressure fluid to the upper end of a dual acting cylinder 76 (FIGS. 1, 4 & 8), whereby a piston rod 78 is caused to force a presser 80 (FIGS. 1, 8, & l0) downwardly into engagementwith the lining L. It will be understood that the presser 80 and the bed 36 may be of a 3-dimensional configuration to shape the combined plies when desired.

For guiding the presser without blocking descent of the granules G a pair of spaced parallel rods 68, one only shown in FIGS. 1, 8, & I0, is secured at their lower ends to the frame 18. An upper end of one of the rods 68 carries a switch 82. Accordingly the control circuit,

after providing for a suitable interval of lining engage-' ment by the presser 80 for effecting combining with the vamp, pressurizes the lower end of the cylinder 76 to retract the presser 80 to its inactive upper limit and reengagement with the switch 82 thereby re-energizing, after a time-delay, the solenoid for again retracting the granule-releasing plunger 54 for starting another cycle of operations.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the invention provides an easily operated machine for economically assembling toe portions of shoes or other multi-ply articles to be stiffened. If desired, the presser 80 and/or the bed 36 may include a heating means but and before such coating has lost its tackiness. The combined lining L with vamp V will be seen (FIG. 11) to have its reinforced area confined to a substantially cen tral and tapered portion surrounded by a non-coated margin M (FIGS. 9 & 11). By automatically retaining granules G in a central tapered area of the coating A and thereafter, by operation of the presser insure that the lining L comes into intimate pressing contact both with the granules being embedded in the adhesive and with the confining margin of coating A, the vamp assembly (FIG. 12), following its removal from the machine, is in proper condition for incorporation in a shoe. Not only is the lining likely to remain free of wrinkles following lasting, but the toe portion can be lasted to conform faithfully to a last and without revealing any external surface irregularity.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure as Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A machine for assembling and securing two plies of flexible sheet material to be stiffened comprising, a work supporting bed for supporting one of the two plies with an adhesive tacky coating thereon exposed when the second ply is at least partly disass'ociated therefrom, dispenser mechanism for depositing a layer of reinforcing resin granules on the tacky adhesive coating of the one ply except for a margin of said coating, combining mechanism for superimposing the second ply in outspread intimate contact with the first ply, its coated margin, and said layer of granules, and pressure means thereupon operable to compress the thus combined plies at least in their tacky coating area in secured relation.

2. A machine as in claim 1 including a control circuit for operating the granule dispensing mechanism, said ply superimposing mechanism, and the pressure means in sequence. v

3. A machine as in claim 1 wherein said granule dispensing mechanism comprises a container for a supply of the granules to be deposited, and a rotary wheel having a plurality of peripherally arranged scoops movable to be successively loaded with granules from the container and then to release them by gravity tosaid tacky coating, any non-retained granules being re-circulated to the container.

- 4. A machine as in claim 3 wherein said wheel is rotatable about a horizontal axis, and said work supporting bed in inclined to the horizontal and disposed substantially within the periphery of said wheel. 7

5. A machine as in claim 4 wherein the dispenser mechanism includes a tiltable hopper arranged for operation between the upper unloading scoops and the work supporting bed.

6. A machine for assembling a vamp and associated lining, the toe portions of which are to be stiffened following application on the central area of the toe portion of said vamp an adhesive, tacky layer, said machine comprising, in combination an inclined vamp receiving bed dispenser mechanism for depositing a charge of granules of resin on the tacky layer of adhesive in such a manner that granules falling on thicker portions of the layer are retained and granules falling on thinner portions of the layer or other portions of the vamp are released for recirculation, via the dispenser mechanism, a combining mechanism for superimposing the lining on the vamp and operative when said granu- 'lar charge has been dispensed to wipe the lining into outspread contact with the adhesive and granule coatings on the vamp toe portion, and a reciprocable presser thereupon operative toward the bed to secure the toe portions in assembled relation. 

1. A machine for assembling and securing two plies of flexible sheet material to be stiffened comprising, a work supporting bed for supporting one of the two plies with an adhesive tacky coating thereon exposed when the second ply is at least partly disassociated therefrom, dispenser mechanism for depositing a layer of reinforcing resin granules on the tacky adhesive coating of the one ply except for a margin of said coating, combining mechanism for superimposing the second ply in outspread intimate contact with the first ply, its coated margin, and said layer of granules, and pressure means thereupon operable to compress the thus combined plies at least in their tacky coating area in secured relation.
 2. A machine as in claim 1 including a conTrol circuit for operating the granule dispensing mechanism, said ply superimposing mechanism, and the pressure means in sequence.
 3. A machine as in claim 1 wherein said granule dispensing mechanism comprises a container for a supply of the granules to be deposited, and a rotary wheel having a plurality of peripherally arranged scoops movable to be successively loaded with granules from the container and then to release them by gravity to said tacky coating, any non-retained granules being re-circulated to the container.
 4. A machine as in claim 3 wherein said wheel is rotatable about a horizontal axis, and said work supporting bed in inclined to the horizontal and disposed substantially within the periphery of said wheel.
 5. A machine as in claim 4 wherein the dispenser mechanism includes a tiltable hopper arranged for operation between the upper unloading scoops and the work supporting bed.
 6. A machine for assembling a vamp and associated lining, the toe portions of which are to be stiffened following application on the central area of the toe portion of said vamp an adhesive, tacky layer, said machine comprising, in combination an inclined vamp receiving bed dispenser mechanism for depositing a charge of granules of resin on the tacky layer of adhesive in such a manner that granules falling on thicker portions of the layer are retained and granules falling on thinner portions of the layer or other portions of the vamp are released for recirculation, via the dispenser mechanism, a combining mechanism for superimposing the lining on the vamp and operative when said granular charge has been dispensed to wipe the lining into outspread contact with the adhesive and granule coatings on the vamp toe portion, and a reciprocable presser thereupon operative toward the bed to secure the toe portions in assembled relation. 